Currently Known Characteristics of Bat Species Represented in Hamburg in Respect of Wind Turbine Casualties

Abstract

Bats are animals protected by the law, however many become wind turbine related casualties. To estimate the risk from wind turbines, a systematic literature research has been conducted. A total of 6 groups of bat characteristics have been chosen as relevant for the risk estimation: body dimensions, flight height, flight style and speed, foraging space and distance, response to light, and acoustical characteristics of bat calls. Their values have been presented in this paper for the 7 bat species that are represented in the wind park near Hamburg, Germany. Analyzing the values of the known bat characteristics, conclusions about the species with high collision risk possibility have been drawn. However, these conclusions have not always been supported by the statistics of carcass findings at wind parks across Germany, which raises questions, for instance about the degree of influence of certain characteristics above others, and indicates a need for further research.